Ruling Party Honorary Chair: seizure of “any amount of power” by “collective UNM” equates to “sabotage, inevitable harm” to people

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chair and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday claimed the seizure of “any amount of power” by the United National Movement and affiliated opposition groups would lead to “sabotage and inevitable harm” to the people.

In an election campaign event in the central city of Rustavi, the official stressed, “Much like in the past, the radical opposition continues to act not in the interest of the country or its people, but according to external directives”.

That is why, on October 26, the choice is not between good and better, but between war and peace, between external agents and the Georgian Dream, which represents the interests of the Georgian people. We will not allow foreign interference in our country's internal affairs. On October 26, Georgia's population will choose not foreign influence, but a political force committed to implementing a national agenda - the GD”, Ivanishvili said.

Addressing the public, the former Prime Minister reiterated his party’s election promise to declare the UNM unconstitutional following the vote if the GD secures at least 113 seats in the 150-member Parliament, after accusing the former authorities of “unleashing” the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.

"It is the UNM that is responsible for the worst tragedy that happened in 2008. To fulfill the external task, they started a war that cost us more than 400 lives, displacement of 30,000 people, and lost territories”, he said. Saying this, the Honorary Chair urged voters to support the ruling party in the upcoming elections, arguing it was the “only political force” capable of ensuring peace and preventing further conflict.

"By coming to the elections on October 26 and supporting the GD, you get a guarantee that no one will be able to involve Georgia in the war, and the war criminals will be severely punished”, Ivanishvili pledged, adding the GD had “successfully maintained peace in the country for 12 consecutive years despite ongoing regional military conflicts and significant geopolitical challenges”.

We are the only political force that brought 12 years of uninterrupted peace to the country in the most difficult geopolitical situation, at the cost of incredible efforts”, the official claimed, pledging that “neither he nor his team would allow war to break out in Georgia again”.

I promise you that I personally, together with the political team of Georgian Dream, will not allow war and rain of bombs in Georgia at any cost!" Ivanishvili said.

The official also highlighted the importance of peace in the context of global changes, suggesting that the time was nearing when Georgia would be able to restore its territorial integrity. He further stressed the need for a constitutional majority in the upcoming elections to facilitate the necessary constitutional changes for the peaceful reunification of the country.

Obtaining a constitutional majority in the elections is of fundamental importance. No one should be able to resist the constitutional changes, the implementation of which will become necessary during the restoration of territorial integrity”, Ivanishvili noted.

In response to his earlier calls for reconciliation, the Honorary Chair accused the UNM of “rejecting peace”, claiming the “radical opposition” had “labeled reconciliation as treason”.

"The collective UNM called reconciliation treason and loyalty hostility”, he said, accusing them of “inciting conflict and ethnic strife”. 

 "For more than two months, we have been saying that the war of 2008 was started by the UNM on an external order. None of them has even tried to justify themselves”, Ivanishvili stressed.

Pointing to the UNM’s “acknowledgement of its guilt” in international reports over “starting the war,” Ivanishvili further accused them of having a “vested interest in keeping the country in a state of conflict”.

Their reaction [over his comments in the previous election event this month] confirms once again that they were tasked with the only thing - to keep Georgia in a mode of constant conflict and confrontation”, Ivanishvili asserted.

The official also claimed that securing the constitutional majority would allow the GD to “decisively end any forceful efforts to impose so-called pseudo-liberal ideologies that seek to erode our nation's core beliefs, traditions, and historical heritage”, in reference to the GD proposed bill on family values and protection of minors.

He added that the constitutional majority would allow the current ruling power to “solidify the constitutional role of the Orthodox Church, which remains a cornerstone of our national identity”.

However, let it be clear that this will not cast even a shadow on any other faiths practiced within our borders. Rather, we will double down on our commitment to ensuring the peaceful coexistence of our country’s diverse religious groups, all bound by a deep love for our shared homeland”, the official claimed.

He further added, “It is precisely through our diversity and longstanding tradition of tolerance that we, as a people, have earned our unique place on the world stage”, and reassured that “this proud tradition will not only continue but flourish”.

Highlighting the “historic victory” in the 2012 parliamentary elections against the UNM, the official described it as a “turning point in building a nation based on democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human dignity”.

He underscored reforms, including strengthening the judiciary and ensuring media independence. Ivanishvili pointed to the progress made in the central Kvemo Kartli region, focusing on infrastructure development, agricultural revival, and efforts to boost energy independence.

Regarding ethnic minorities, he stressed, “we have forever passed the time when the regime of the UNM perceived the representatives of ethnic minorities as second-class citizens, and they were mentioned only during elections. Today, the starting point of the state is a person! Every citizen of Georgia, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation, is equal and fully enjoys all the privileges that the state offers to citizens”.